What Direction Will Lexus Take The LC500 Coupe?

Back in 2014, Toyota filed two applications to trademark the names LC500 and LC500h with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). What we don’t know, however, is what vehicles will be lucky enough to receive the names. But we’re always happy to present some educated guesses, which is exactly what we will do here.

To start, the LC500 and LC500h names sound right at home on a future vehicle from Lexus — Toyota’s luxury arm — as they follow the alphanumeric nomenclature of two letters followed by three numbers.

Further examining the LC500 and LC500h names leads us to believe the following:

• With the exception of the LFA supercar, Lexus has traditionally reserved the “C” in its naming convention for two-door coupes. Examples include the now-discontinued SC430 and the recently-introduced RC range (RC350), with both being coupes and both having the C as the second letter in their names. As such, we strongly believe that the C in LC500 designates a coupe.
• Meanwhile, the “500” and “500h” designations suggest that the vehicles will either have a 5.0-liter engine, or a powertrain that has the performance of a traditional engine of that size. And Lexus already has an engine of that capacity, having recently unveiled the new GS-F with the naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8 that produces a remarkable 467 horsepower (473 PS) and 389 pound-feet of torque.

Keeping all that in mind, let’s go back to January 2012, when Lexus wowed the world with the LF-LC concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The LF-LC, which stands for Lexus Future – Luxury Coupe, was a hybrid 2+2 sport coupe that showcased “the future design direction for Lexus with an emphasis on a driver-focused vehicle”, according to the brand.

Add to all that the fact that Lexus has been missing a flagship coupe since the discontinuation of the SC430 grand-touring roadster in 2010, and it would seem that the LC500 and LC500h trademarks are being reserved for a new flagship coupé and its hybrid variant. We see such a vehicle taking on two possibilities:

1. The first is a performance-oriented roadster that would seat two people and take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class.
2. The second is a two-door, four-seat coupé variant of the flagship LS sedan that would go head-to-head with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe, Maserati GranTurismo (a coupe version of the Quattroporte), and the rumored Audi A9 coupe.

Perhaps a third choice involves a combination of the above. So, what kind of vehicle do you think the LC500 and LC500h will end up becoming? Talk to us in the comments.